Cushion-wheel



P. H. DORSEY.

CUSHION WHEEL. APPLlcATloN man Nov.14. 1919.

1,344,337, mnwdJune2z,192o.

INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEY` Wl TNESS:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP H. noRsEY, oF'ALGIERs, LOUISIANA CUSHION-WHEEL.

To all 'whomz't may concern. j

Be it known that I, PHILIP H. Donsnr, a

citizen ofthe Unitedl States, vresidin at Algiers, in thek parish ofOrleans and tate offLouisiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsl ink Cushion-Wheels, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to resilient wheels, `and moreparticularlyto wheels of the spring wheel type in which the tire isyieldingly supported vabout the hub by means of connections includingsprings` or equivalent means adaptedto take up -orv absorb shocksreceivedby the tire and prevent their transmission to the hub and,through it, to

they vehicle body.v n f ,j

One of the objections to existlng wheels of this ty-pe is that they arenot suficiently sensitive and, therefore, only very 'nnperfectly-Yabsorb the shocks. l Another objection is the complexity of theconnections between the 'hubs and tires orouter wheel members. -A

further objection is Vthe weakness of these connectionsfor effecting adrive of the tire from the hub. Among the forms yof this type involvingthe above objectionsvis the form having telescopicspoke sections, one ysection pivoted or otherwise connected at one end 4to the hub andreceiving the` 'otherf section, while such other section 1s pivotedr tothe inner facey of thefelly ortire, the spring or other shock iabsorbingelement be,

ing disposed between them. `An additional` objection to thisfform is theweakness of its resistance to sideuthrust .infmaking a turn or roundingcorners.V 'The purpose ofvthlsinvention is to overcome these and other,objections and to provide a wheel of th1s type which is simplyrconstructed Vand may be quickly manufactured at! a reasonable cost. y

vrIn order to more clearly disclose the invention, a preferred form, isshownrin the r accompanying ydrawlngs and ywill be more fully set forthin the following specification and claims,.though .it is 'clear thatmany structural Lchanges and changes -in the arv rangements'of variousparts may be made without infany degree departing from the eld andscope. of the invention, and it is meant to `include them withinthe'scope of the appended claims. In the drawings: f Figure 1 is a sideelevation ofthe invention, lwith one cap plate removed, and

Fig. 2 is across section,A online 2 2 of Fig. .n n

In the present wheel the tire comprises Specification of Letters Patent.A Patented une 22 1920. Application led November i4. 1919. Serial thetread 1 clamped between vthe side rings v2, which are kept in theiryspaced relation .by the felly sections 3, between which is held :aconnecting or driving ring 4. .The parts 1, 2, and 4 are all securedtogether to form a unltary structureor tire by means of ser curing bolts5 passing laterally through members 2, 3 and 4. Thehubcomprises twosimple vduplicate castings 6, each having a plurality of radiallydisposed oblong openings or spring receiving pockets 7, and each openingin turn has an inwardly extending radially disposed notch 13 for apurpose to be later disclosed. In the outer circurnfer-v ential faceof'each casting and in line with the longitudinal center of each opening7, and communicating therewith,'is formed a small bore fora purposevtobev later disclosed. Within each opening 7 and having a close slidingfit between the walls thereof is a guide block 8, through the center ofwhich extendsa post 9. Each block is fixed toits post by a connectingpin 10 in such, manner that there can be no relative mon' tions betweenthem. Disposed about each post are'two coil springs 11 and 12, one ar vranged between the block 8 and the outer or circumferential wall of theopening 7, and Y the other between the block and the bottom or innerwall of the notch 13. The springs are so balanced as to normally keepeach block about midway of the combined length of'its opening 7 andnotch v13, ask will be readily understood. The outer end of eachvpost'is provided with aU-shaped forked end 14 which receives thereducedinner end 15 of a diagonally disposed radially extending spoke 16terminating in anouter radially disposed U-shaped fork 17. A pivot pin18 provides flexibleconnection between the ref ducedend 15 and fork 14.Fork 17 is similarly fiexibly connected to the driving ring 4 by'a pivotpin 19. e

-Craps or plates 20ksecured to the opposite facesof each castingv orblock by screws 21 are so disposed relatively to each other that theopenings 7 ofone will alternate with tionopposite to tliatof thespokesections of' the other hub element. This, together with tlie alternationabove set forth, places the points of connection between ring 4 and thespoke sectionsin direct radialrlines from the center of the wheel to thecenter of the tire.,

At the same time it provides one set of s oke sections disposed toresist jside thrust rom one direction, as in turning a corner, andanother and similar set disposed to resist side thrust from the oppositedirection, as in turning a corner in the opposite direction.

The two pivot pins 1S and 19 and the connecting pin 1() in each instanceare parallel and in the .same plane, which is radialwitli relation tothe wheel. Also they are at right angles tothe radius and to the ring l.Consequently, the only movements allowed each post Qare simple inwardand outward movements vtoward and tromthe tire and wheel center, orradially. No turning movement of any kind is possible, because of block8 lixed by pin 10'. Likewise the only movements of each spoke sectionarerock'ing an obstacle, while at the same `time every other movement isstoutly resisted. and prevented. The yielding connections between thespoke sections and driving ring and sliding posts respectively `provideadequate means for transmitting the driving power from the hub to thetire, or vice versa. At the same time their flexibility dispels thefirst sudden shocks of the impact of the tire against any unevenness inthe -road or any obstacles or obstructions met. Shocks thus `receivedand partially dispelled are trans mitted through the flexibleconnections to the absorbing springs, where they are practicallyentirely eliminated.

Although the thi b has been shown as com v prising two elementsconnected together, it

is clear that it could be made as a 'single casting complete, or eachelement could have one of the Yface plates cast integral with the bodyportion, the other only being separate.

Obviously, many changes maybe made in structural details, as also in thedisposition of the various parts, without in any manner departing fromthe field and scope of the invention, and `it is meant to include all Onreference to Fig. 2

y face. movements about the two pivotal connecsuch within the scope ofthe appended claims.

. Having thus described my invention, what ent is z hub, `posts inovably:mounted in said hub, shock absorbing means cooperating with 'saidposts, diagonally disposed and radially extending spoke sections; andflexible connections` between said spoke sections and] sai-d tire andposts, respectively.

2. A resilient` wheel comprising a tire, a hub provided with pocketsarranged alternately in its opposite faces, slidably mounted in saidpockets, shock. `absorbing means coperatingV with said posts,Aoppositely directed spoke sections, Aand flexible connections `betweensaid spoke sections and said posts and tire, respectively.

3. A resilient wheel comprising a tire, `a hub provided with pocketsanranged alternately in `its opposite faces, posts slidably mounted insaid pockets, oppositely `directed spoke sections, and pivotal,coimiections between `said spoke sections and posts `and-tire.,`respectively, said connections boing parallel e and in a planeperpendicular to the wheel 4. Agresilient wheel comprising a tire, a hubprovided with pockets `farranged alternately in its opposite 'i-aces,non rotatable blocks slidably mounted in said pockets, posts extendingthrough saidblocks and slidinginsaid pockets, .means foi-.fixing saidblocks to said posts and preventing relative `rotation between them,shock absorbing means coperating` with said posts, diagonally disposedspoke sections alternately arranged in; opposite directicns, Aandflexible connections between vsaid spoke sections and said posts andtire, spectively .said conneetions bei-ngparallelyand in a :plane per- Ypendicular to the wheel face.

5.. A resilfent wheelfcomprising a tire, ytwo similarfhub elementseachpi'ovided with a plurality of equidistant radially directed pockets,means or connecting said elements` in such position thatV the pockets inone alternate with the pockets `in theaother, posts slidably mounted insaid pockets, `spoke `sections, and flexible connections between saidspoke sectioiisandsaid posts and `tire respectively. V

6.* A resilient wheel comprising nuire, two similar hub elements eachprovided with `a plurality of {equi-distant radially directed pockets,means `for connecting said elements in such position that the .pocketssinfonefwlternate with the pockets in the other, posts slidably mountedin ysaid pockets, oppositeIy inwardly directed spoke sections, and`pivotal connections between said spoke sections and said posts andtire, respectively.

7. A .resilient wheelcomprisng a tire, two

similar hub elements each provided with a plurality of lequi-distantradially directed pockets, means for connecting said elements in suchposition that the pockets in one alternate with the pockets in theother, posts radially slidably mounted in said pockets,

Y alternately oppositely directed, radially ex.-

tending and inwardly laterally ol'set spoke sections, and pivotalconnections between said spoke sections and said posts and tire,respectively, said connections beingparallel and in a planeperpendicular to the wheel face.

8. A resilient wheel comprising a tire, a

hub provided with pockets arranged alter- In testimony whereof, I havesigned my y name to this specification in the presence of 25 twosubscribing witnesses.

PHILIP H. DORSEY. Witnesses:

T. J. DoBBINs, D. CONWAY FINAN.

